Thousands help clean up Baseco garbage

ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines - More than 2,000 volunteers -- from residents to policemen -- helped clean up the Baseco community in Barangay 649, Zone 68 at Manila's port area.

The clean-up, held last Saturday, was part of the Kapit Bisig Para sa Ilog Pasig (KBPIP) movement, a partnership between ABS-CBN Foundation and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). KBPIP aims to rehabilitate the Pasig River through information drives, relocations, and area redevelopment projects.

The Baseco compound, located at the mouth of the Pasig river, is part of KBPIP's strategic Clean River Zones.

Gina Lopez, managing director of the ABS-CBN Foundation, said all efforts to clean the Pasig River may fail unless Baseco is kept garbage-free.

She added that the river warriors, community volunteers tasked to protect the Pasig River, will play a crucial role in their cause.

Elsa Paluga is one of KBPIP's river warriors. She lamented how some people continue to dump their trash in Baseco, and urged others to join their efforts to clean the environment.

For his part, Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim called on the public to take part in KBPIP's clean-up activities for Baseco and start clearing their areas of all sorts of garbage. -- Report from Abner Mercado, ABS-CBN News

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